Crystalline Fructose - Health Effects

Health Effects

There are studies for and against the health benefits of crystalline fructose.

Crystalline fructose is generally considered safe, but concerns have been raised about health effects, particularly hepatotoxicity. As of January 2010, the FDA has not designated crystalline fructose to be generally recognized as safe.

Because crystalline fructose is sweeter than the sugars it replaces, less sugar can be used to produce a desired level of sweetness, resulting in a roughly 5-percent reduction in the amount of calories. Fructose is also an isomer of glucose, carrying the same energetic value when burned.

Any positive health benefit of crystalline fructose consumption is fueled primarily by the fact that fructose does have the same value as glucose when burned. However, fructose is processed by the body differently; fructose's causal relationship to hyperlipidemia, fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, coronary arterial disease and obesity remain a concern for public health analysts.